Curricular Reform—Everyone's Doing It!
Lee Bollinger just sent out this memo:
-----Original Message-----
From: Columbia Community [mailto:PRESIDENT@CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Lee C. Bollinger
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 10:48 AM
To: PRESIDENT@CUVMC.AIS.COLUMBIA.EDU
Subject: President's Task Force on Undergraduate Education
Dear fellow member of the Columbia community,
Columbia has some of the finest undergraduate programs in the world.
The educational experience we provide students is properly noted for
many things, most especially the Core Curriculum and the dedication
of our faculty to teaching undergraduates. Every decade or so, we
must reflect on what we are doing well and consider opportunities
for improvement of this essential part of our intellectual
community. It is for this reason that I write to inform you of the
Task Force for Undergraduate Education that will be convening
throughout this academic year.
The task force will review a number of broad aspects of our
undergraduate education, including how well our curriculum serves
the rapidly changing needs of an increasingly globalized world -- a
world that will require precisely the combination of highly
specialized knowledge and broad general learning to which Columbia
has long been committed. We will also explore the balance of
general education and disciplinary specialization,
interdisciplinary learning, and ways we can continue to take
advantage of our location in New York City.
Task force members are representative of our undergraduate
community. In our early meetings, we will identify ways in which
students, alumni, and other members of the Columbia community can
be involved. I am eager for all of us to learn from the collective
expertise and experience that this task force brings to our work
together. I look forward to sharing with you our progress and ways
we can continue to excel in undergraduate education.
Sincerely,
Lee C. Bollinger
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Members
Alfred V. Aho
The Lawrence Gussman Professor of Computer Science
Paul J. Anderer
Vice Provost for International Relations and the Theodore and Fanny
de Bary and Class of 1941 Collegiate Professor of Asian Humanities
Peter Awn
Dean of the School of General Studies and Professor of Religion
Elizabeth Boylan
Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Barnard College
Alan Brinkley
Provost of Columbia University and the Allan Nevins Professor of
American History
Andrew Delbanco
The Julian Clarence Levi Professor in the Humanities
George Deodatis
Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Nicholas B. Dirks
Vice President for Arts and Sciences and Dean of the Faculty and the
Franz Boas Professor of Anthropology and History
Geraldine Downey
Chair and Professor of Psychology
Stuart J. Firestein
Professor of Biological Sciences
Morton B. Friedman
Vice Dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied
Science and Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering
Mechanics
Robert D. Friedman
Professor of Mathematics
Zvi Galil
Dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
and the Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor and the Julian
Clarence Levi Professor of Mathematical Methods and Computer
Science
Steven Gregory
Director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies
and Professor of Anthropology
Patricia E. Grieve
The Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Professor of the Humanities and Chair
of Literature Humanities
Robert E. Harrist
The Jane and Leopold Swergold Professor of Chinese Art History
Jean E. Howard
Vice Provost for Diversity Initiatives and the William B. Ransford
Professor of English
Martha C. Howell
The Miriam Champion Professor of History
Ira Katznelson
The Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History
Andrew F. Laine
Vice Chair and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of
Radiology
George E. Lewis
The Edwin H. Case Professor of Music
Claudio W. Lomnitz
Director of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race and
Professor of Anthropology
Ann E. McDermott
Associate Vice President for Science Initiatives and Professor of
Chemistry
Christia Mercer
The Gustave M. Berne Professor in the Core Curriculum at Columbia
College
Andrew J. Millis
Chair and Professor of the Department of Physics
Vijay Modi
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Shahid Naeem
Chair and Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology
Susan G. Pedersen
Professor of History
Sheldon Pollock
The William B. Ransford Professor of Sanskrit and Indian Studies and
Chair of the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and
Cultures
Austin E. Quigley
Dean of Columbia College and the Lucy G. Moses Professor and the
Brander Matthews Professor of Dramatic Literature
